Unitary serological pipette and methods of producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065612-B2
Application number	US-201815986323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2018
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A pipette may comprise a length, a longitudinal axis, and an inner curved surface enclosing a space. The pipette may have a tip region having a tip thickness. The tip region may be connected to a body region having a body thickness. The tip thickness may be greater than the body thickness. The body region may be connected to a mouth region having a mouth thickness. The mouth thickness may be greater than the body thickness. The inner curved surface may not contain bumps or ridges either between the tip region and the body region or between the body region and the mouth region. The pipette may be formed by blow molding or vacuum forming.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing pipettes comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a parison or preform, the parison or preform having a longitudinal axis and an inner curved surface enclosing a space;
(b) inserting the parison or preform into a mold, the mold having at least two mold cavities, wherein each mold cavity has proximal and distal mold end features and the at least two mold cavities being in fluid communication with each other; and
(c) blow-molding or vacuum forming the parison or preform to form at least two pipettes in the shape of the at least two mold cavities, each of the at least two pipettes having proximal and distal ends,
wherein the at least two mold cavities are arranged end-to-end in the mold with one of the proximal and distal ends of one of the at least two mold cavities abutting one of the proximal and distal ends of another of the at least two mold cavities.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) involves blow-molding the parison or preform.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) involves vacuum forming the parison or preform.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proximal and distal mold end features are orifices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two pipettes are arranged in the at least two mold cavities such that the proximal ends of the at least two pipettes are adjacent to each other.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two pipettes are arranged in the at least two mold cavities such that the distal ends of at the least two pipettes are adjacent to each other.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step prior to step (b) of printing the at least two mold cavities to create mold surface features, wherein during step (c) pipette surface features are formed on the at least two pipettes corresponding to the mold surface features.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step prior to step (b) of depositing ink on a surface of the at least two mold cavities, wherein during step (c) the ink is transferred to a surface of the at least two pipettes.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step prior to step (b) of inserting a label into each of the at least two mold cavities, wherein during step (c) a label attaches to each of the at least two pipettes.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step subsequent to step (c) of drawing the distal end of at least one of the at least two pipettes to form a pipette tip in the at least one of the at least two pipettes.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the drawing forms a pipette tip in each of the at least two pipettes.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the drawing to form the pipette tip is achieved by moving at least two of the at least two mold cavities away and apart from each other.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two mold cavities comprise a cutting or scoring feature configured to cut or score the at least two pipettes during or after step (c).

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step subsequent to step (c) of cutting or scoring at least one of the at least two pipettes at its distal end to form or prepare to form a distal aperture.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step subsequent to step (c) of cutting or scoring at least one of the at least two pipettes at its proximal end to form or prepare to form a proximal aperture.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising a step of inserting a filter into the proximal aperture of at least one of the at least two pipettes.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold further comprises at least one separation cavity between the at least two mold cavities.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one separation cavity comprises an opening in communication with the at least two mold cavities and wherein the at least one separation cavity further comprises walls extending from the opening parallel to one another.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one separation cavity comprises an opening in communication with the at least two mold cavities and wherein the at least one separation cavity further comprises walls extending from the opening at an oblique angle.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one separation cavity comprises a round shape.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold further comprises at least two opposing pinch features between the at least two mold cavities, and wherein the method further comprises a step subsequent to step (c) of separating the at least two pipettes by forming a pinching location in a portion of the parison or preform.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least two opposing pinch features comprises flat surfaces.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least two opposing pinch features are configured to move within the at least two mold cavities, and wherein forming a pinching location in a portion of the parison or preform comprises moving the at least two opposing pinch features to apply a pressure to the portion of the parison or preform.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold further comprises a mold pinch feature between the at least two mold cavities, wherein the mold pinch feature forms a pinching location for forming an area of decreased pipette material thickness where the at least two pipettes are to be separated.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two mold cavities are configured such that the centerline of a first of the at least two mold cavities is offset from the centerline of a second of the at least two mold cavities.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inserting the parison or preform into the mold comprises extruding a polymer melt into the mold.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Cadotte Jr John Claude
• Martin Gregory Roger
• Schaefer Michael Kurt
• Seymour James Mark

Classifications

• B29C49/04

  Extrusion blow-moulding · CPC title

• B29C49/48185

  with more than one separate mould cavity · CPC title

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• B29C49/54

  for undercut articles · CPC title

• B01L2300/0681

  Filter · CPC title